20140515

NSA Customs Cross-Border Implant Program

The author of "No Place to Hide" Glenn Greenwald was asked by Amy Goodman on "Democracy Now" what the term "Customs" meant in relation to NSA's placement of "implants" into computer systems.

"AMY GOODMAN: Customs?

GLENN GREENWALD: Yeah, I'm not sure what that is, actually. We've asked several experts. It could be, you know, some tactic that people aren't aware of."

There are those who are, unlike Greenwald, totally aware of what is meant by Customs. Greenwald insists on sitting on his alleged cache of hundreds of thousands of classified documents from whistleblower Edward Snowden. "Customs" is a serious program. It means that every time someone crosses a border posting and is asked to hand over their laptop computers, smart phones, or other devices to the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel, there is a risk of NSA installing implants that can later "beacon" data to NSA capture points. This is why ICE says it has the authority to hold devices at border crossings indefinitely. The revelation also means that the diplomatic pouch privileges traditionally afforded embassy and other diplomatic personnel are likely being routinely breached during the transit of pouches on planes and ships.

Former NSA/CIA Special Collection Service employee Snowden knows what Customs means. Why wasn't he one of the "experts" consulted by Greenwald and the First Looker team?...